The BMW Group’s view of the future.
The BMW Group is celebrating its centenary under the motto “THE NEXT
100 YEARS”. Future orientation and adaptability have always defined
the BMW Group’s identity as a company. Ever since it was founded in
1916, the BMW Group has played an important role in shaping the future
of mobility. It has done so by constantly reinventing itself, evolving
from an aircraft engine manufacturer to a motorcycle producer and then
a carmaker. Today the BMW Group encompasses the BMW, MINI, BMW
Motorrad and Rolls-Royce brands, as well as a large number of mobility
services and BMW Financial Services.
Throughout its history the company has placed its sights firmly
on the future and this has become embedded in the BMW Group’s DNA. So
for the Centenary it is natural that the Group is focusing primarily
on looking to the future and sharing its vision of personal mobility
two or three decades from now.
It is both exciting and challenging to imagine how we will live
and move around in the future: how will society, the economy, living
conditions – and therefore mobility – change? What possibilities will
new technologies open up? How will digitalisation and connectivity
affect our automotive needs?
To answer these questions, the BMW Group has formulated six
central hypotheses for individual mobility in the coming decades,
based on key megatrends and future projections.
-
Mobility is becoming versatile.
New forms of mobility will open up countless possibilities for
people to get where they want to go. The BMW Group aims to play a
part in shaping these future forms of mobility. -
Connectivity is becoming second nature.
In the future, everything will be connected. The BMW Group
firmly believes that digitalisation and digital intelligence are
meant to serve people. That is the only way they will permanently
enhance our quality of life. -
Mobility is becoming tailor-made.
Mobility will be increasingly flexible and tailored to
individual needs. In the future, customised mobility will
automatically ensure that people are able to use the best means of
transport and take their preferred route to their destination. The
BMW Group will offer carefully coordinated products and services to
achieve this. -
Technology is becoming human.
Technologies are getting smarter. The BMW Group believes that
innovations are only beneficial to humans if they are simple and
user-friendly. In its vision, technologies must be able to learn
from and adapt to people, so that technology seems less technical
and more human and familiar. -
Energy is becoming emission-free.
In the future, energy will increasingly come from renewable
sources. The BMW Group has a clear vision of
environmentally-compatible vehicles built using renewable energies
and recycled without generating emissions. It is working towards
becoming a wholly sustainable company. -
Responsibility is becoming diverse.
In the
future, it will become even more important for global companies like
the BMW Group to take responsibility for the environment, but also
for the people directly or indirectly in its sphere of activity. One
aspect – concerning both the company’s international workforce of
more than 100 different nationalities and people connected with its
various locations – is to promote intercultural exchange and improve
lives. The BMW Group already supports more than 200 environmental
and social projects in over 42 countries engaging in various
projects involving its associates and local communities to maximize
its impact in the future. (To find out more about Corporate and
Intercultural Responsibility at the BMW Group, visit the PressClub
at: www.bmwgroup.com/responsibility).
These six focus areas comprise the BMW Group’s view of the future.
They also form the basis and inspiration for the design of the Vision
Vehicles the company is unveiling to the public to mark its centenary.
Each BMW Group brand interprets the mobility of the future in a
way that reflects its own particular values:
The BMW VISION NEXT 100 provides a glimpse of what “Sheer
Driving Pleasure” could look like in the future.
The MINI VISION NEXT 100 offers a completely individualised,
permanently available form of urban mobility.
The Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 epitomises bespoke automotive luxury.
Future riding pleasure with the BMW Motorrad VISION NEXT 100
promises limitless freedom.
BMW Group’s VISION NEXT 100 VEHICLES.
BMW VISION NEXT 100: “Sheer Driving Pleasure” of the future –
what will it look like?
In the not-too-distant future, most vehicles will probably be
completely self-driving – people will get around in robots on wheels.
So, given these developments, how will we justify the existence of
vehicles by BMW, a brand for whom the individual and Sheer Driving
Pleasure are the focus of everything? And how will BMW’s brand values
translate into the future?
In developing the BMW VISION NEXT 100, the main objective was to
create not an anonymous vehicle but one that is highly personalised
and fully geared to meet the driver’s every need – because the very
emotional connection between a BMW and its driver is something we want
to retain. For the BMW VISION NEXT 100, the design team specifically
took into account all the trends and technological developments that
will be most relevant to BMW in the decades ahead. But they also took
many of their cues from innovations and designs of the past. The key
factor throughout, however, was something that has always been typical
of the BMW brand: the desire to be uncompromising in its future focus
on technologies and customer value.
Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design: “If, as a
designer, you are able to imagine something, there’s a good chance it
could one day become reality. So our objective with the BMW VISION
NEXT 100 was to develop a future scenario that people would engage
with. Technology is going to make significant advances, opening up
fantastic new possibilities that will allow us to offer the driver
even more assistance for an even more intense driving experience. My
personal view is that technology should be as intuitive as possible to
operate and experience so that future interactions between human,
machine and surroundings become seamless. The BMW VISION NEXT 100
shows how we intend to shape this future.”
Four Proposals underpinning the BMW VISION NEXT 100:
A genuine BMW is always driver-focused.
In recent months and years, the greatest current trend in the
automotive industry has become so widespread that it’s no longer a
question of “if” but “when”: autonomous driving. The BMW Group also
believes that BMW drivers will be able to let their cars do the work –
but only when the driver wants. The BMW VISION NEXT 100 remains a
genuine BMW, offering an intense experience of Sheer Driving Pleasure.
Artificial intelligence and intuitive technology become one.
Moving into the future, vehicles will be fully connected and digital
technology will become so normal that it will permeate almost every
area of our lives. Increasing digitisation will lead to the physical
and digital worlds merging more and more. Artificial intelligence will
learn from us, anticipating many of our wishes and working in the
background to perform the jobs we delegate to it. The way humans and
technologies interact will be transformed: screens and touchscreens
will be replaced by more intuitive forms of human-machine
communication and interaction. Better yet: technology will become more human.
New materials open up breathtaking opportunities.
In the future, how will cars be manufactured? At some point, presses
that punch out hundreds of thousands of steel parts may well become
obsolete – the use of carbon may already be a first indication of the
sea-change that is imminent in the world of automotive materials and
production. Technologies such as rapid manufacturing and 4D printing
will produce not components or objects but intelligent, networked
materials and could soon replace conventional tools to open up
unimagined possibilities in design and engineering.
Mobility will remain an emotional experience.
Vehicles by BMW have never been purely utilitarian or merely a means
of getting from one place to the next. Far more, a BMW is about
looking to the next bend in the road, feeling the power of the engine
and enjoying the sense of speed; it’s about the sensory experience,
the adrenaline rush or that intimate moment at which a journey begins,
be it for a lone driver or one travelling with a close friend or loved
one. Moving into the future, that’s not set to change – because the
emotional experience of mobility is firmly fixed in our collective
corporate memory. By keeping the driver firmly in the foreground, the
BMW VISION NEXT 100 will heighten this emotional experience in an
unprecedented way.
BMW VISION NEXT 100: A vehicle for future mobility.
- From driver to “Ultimate Driver” – through digital intelligence
- “Alive Geometry” enables intuitive driver-vehicle interaction
- “Boost” and “Ease” driving modes enable driver- or
vehicle-controlled operation - “Companion”: The intelligent digital partner connects driver and car
- Trademark BMW exterior
- Materials of the future
From driver to Ultimate Driver – through digital intelligence.
In the future, BMW drivers will still want to spend most of the time
they are in their car at the wheel. In the BMW VISION NEXT 100, the
driver will remain firmly in the focus, with constant connectivity,
digital intelligence and state-of-the-art technologies available for
support. But that’s not all: the BMW VISION NEXT 100 will turn the
driver into the Ultimate Driver. So even though the world may well be
changing, Sheer Driving Pleasure is here to stay – and will be more
intense than ever before.
In designing the BMW VISION NEXT 100, the starting point was the
interior. In the years ahead, the driver’s wellbeing will become
increasingly important and rather than merely feeling they are in a
machine that drives itself, they should sense that they are sitting in
one that was specifically designed for them. This idea gave rise to an
architecture in which the interior appears extremely spacious given
the overall size of the vehicle; the BMW VISION NEXT 100, of course,
retains the instantly recognisable athletic silhouette of a BMW saloon.
The design of the interior permits various modes of operation:
Boost mode, in which the driver is at the controls, and Ease mode, in
which the driver can sit back and let the vehicle take over. In Ease,
the vehicle becomes a place of retreat with plenty of space, agreeable
lighting and a comfortable atmosphere. In Boost, the driver takes over
and benefits from the subtle and intuitive support offered by the
vehicle. All the time, the vehicle is learning more and more about the
person at the wheel, thanks to its sensory and digital intelligence
which the BMW Group calls the Companion. The Companion progressively
learns to offer the right kind of support to transform the driver into
the Ultimate Driver.
A very important element of the Vision Vehicle is another
innovation known as Alive Geometry, the likes of which have never
before been seen in a car. It consists of a kind of three-dimensional
sculpture that works both inside and outside the vehicle.
Alive Geometry enables driver-vehicle interaction.
Alive Geometry consists of almost 800 moving triangles inside the
cabin which are set into the instrument panel and into certain areas
of the side panels. They work in three dimensions, communicating very
directly with the driver through their movements, which are more like
gestures than two-dimensional depictions on a display. Even the
slightest peripheral movement is perceptible to the driver. In
combination with the Head-Up display, Alive Geometry uniquely fuses
the analogue with the digital.
The triangles work in much the same way a flock of birds in
controlled flight, their coordinated movements act as signals that are
easily comprehensible to those inside the car. Combined with the
Head-Up display, they involve the driver in a form of preconscious
communication, where an intuitive signal predicts an imminent
real-time event. Various approaches can already be seen today that
appear to confirm the feasibility of this solution. Rapid prototyping
and rapid manufacturing, for example, are gaining importance all the
time and are expected to be commonplace 30 years from now, meaning
that in the future it will become feasible to produce far more complex
and flexible forms. This is why in the context of the BMW VISION NEXT
100, the BMW Group refers to 4D printing, a process which adds a
fourth level to components: the functional one. In the years ahead,
printed parts manufactured in this way will directly integrate
functions which today have to be designed and produced separately
before being incorporated into the whole.
At the moment, the digital world is strongly linked to displays;
the next step will be organic LEDs, in other words, displays that can
be shaped and contoured. However the Vision Vehicle suggests there
will at some point be no more displays at all. Instead the entire
windscreen will serve as a giant display, directly in front of the
driver. In the future the digital and physical worlds will merge, as
shown with the example of the Alive Geometry and its interaction with
the digital Head-Up display on the windscreen.
Boost and Ease driving modes for driver- or vehicle-controlled operations.
In Boost and Ease mode alike, the elements and technologies of the
vehicle make for the most intense or relaxed driving experience,
depending on what is required. Transitioning between modes is
impressive and perfectly orchestrated, and Alive Geometry remains
relevant throughout. In Boost, when the driver is concentrating fully
on the road, Alive Geometry highlights the ideal driving line or
possible turning point and warns of oncoming vehicles. Rather than
making the driver drive faster, this kind of support sets out to make
them drive noticeably better. In addition, intuitive feedback has a
more physical and immediate impact than a robotic voice or
instructions on a screen. In Ease mode, on the other hand, Alive
Geometry is more discreet in its movements, informing occupants about
the road ahead and any acceleration and braking manoeuvres that are
about to happen.
In Boost mode, the entire vehicle focuses on the driver,
offering intelligent support to maximize the driving experience. The
seat and steering wheel change position, and the centre console moves
to become more strongly oriented toward the driver. As the journey
proceeds, the driver can interact with the vehicle via gesture control.
The contact analogue BMW Head-Up display of the future uses the
entire windscreen to communicate with the driver. In Boost mode, it
focuses exclusively on what really matters to the driver: information
such as the ideal line, turning-point and speed. In addition, full
connectivity, intelligent sensors and permanent data exchange allow
the Head-Up display to generate a digital image of the vehicle’s
surroundings. In foggy conditions, for example, this means the driver
can benefit from information such as vehicles crossing ahead, before
they actually come into sight. In addition, by learning more and more
about the driver, the system continuously improves, concentrating on
creating at all times the most intense and personal driving experience possible.
The transition to Ease mode brings about a complete change of
interior ambience. The steering wheel and centre console retract and
the headrests move to one side to create a relaxed and welcoming
atmosphere. The seats and door panels merge to form a single unit,
allowing the driver and passengers to sit at a slight angle. This
makes it easier for them to face each other and sit in a more relaxed
position for easier communications. Meanwhile, the Head-Up display
offers occupants personalised content along with the information and
entertainment they desire.
Depending on the driving mode, the focus of the vehicle changes,
concentrating on essentials for the driver in Boost mode, and the
surroundings and atmosphere in Ease mode, highlighting the impressive
landscapes or buildings of interest that the car is passing by, for instance.
Whether the vehicle is in Boost or Ease mode is also clearly
apparent to other road users as the trademark kidney grille, double
headlights and L-shaped rear lights act as communication tool. Their
different colours of light indicate which mode the vehicle is
currently in.
Companion: The intelligent digital partner connects driver and car.
The Companion is symbolised by a small sculptural element which
represents the driver-vehicle connection. Shaped like a large, cut
gemstone, it is positioned in the centre of the dashboard, just
beneath the windscreen, where it symbolises the intelligence,
connectivity and availability of the BMW VISION NEXT 100. It also
represents the constant exchange of data: the more it learns about the
owner and their mobility habits, the smarter it becomes. At some stage
it knows its drivers well enough to automatically perform routine
tasks for them and offer suitable advice when needed. Irrespective of
the vehicle itself, constant learning makes the Companion increasingly
valuable to its owner.
The Companion also plays an important role in driver-vehicle
communications when the car transitions from Boost to Ease mode. While
the driver concentrates on the road in Boost mode, the Companion
remains flat in the dashboard. But when the BMW VISION NEXT 100 takes
control in Ease, it rises up to create an interface with the
windscreen. A signal light tells the driver that the car is ready for
fully autonomous driving. For other road users, the Companion has a
similar function, signalling through its own light as well as that of
the vehicle that the car is operating in automated mode. In certain
traffic situations, the Companion is in visual contact with other road
users, helping pedestrians to cross the road by means of the green
light gradient on the front of the vehicle.
Trademark BMW exterior.
The design of the BMW Vision Vehicle is characterised by a blend of
coupé-type sportiness and the dynamic elegance of a sedan. At 4.90
meters long and 1.37 meters high, it has compact exterior dimensions.
Inside, however, it has the dimensions of a luxury BMW sedan.
The large wheels are positioned at the outer edges of the body,
giving the vehicle the dynamic stance that is a trademark of BMW. When
it comes to aerodynamics, exterior Alive Geometry contributes to an
outstanding effect: when the wheels swivel as the vehicle is steered,
the bodywork keeps them covered as if it were a flexible skin,
accommodating their various positions. The innovative design of the
BMW VISION NEXT 100 gives it an extremely low drag coefficient of 0.18.
The exterior of the vehicle is copper in colour, designed to
underscore the idea that BMW vehicles of the future should appear
technical yet still have a warmth about them – as symbolised by the
close links between the vehicle and its driver.
This relationship begins as soon as the driver approaches the
vehicle: intelligent sensor technologies automatically open its wing
doors. To give the driver more space to enter and exit, the steering
wheel is flush with the dashboard. Once seated, the full range of
systems is activated by tapping on the BMW logo in the middle of the
dashboard. The door closes, the steering wheel comes forward, and the
driving experience begins.
Materials of the future.
The designers of the BMW VISION NEXT 100 primarily used fabrics made
from recycled or renewable materials. The visible and non-visible
carbon components, such as the side panels, are made from residues
from normal carbon fibre production. In the future, the choice of
materials will become even more important throughout the design and
production process.
With time, other new materials will also be added into the mix,
allowing different vehicle shapes to emerge. To save resources and
support more sustainable manufacturing, less use will be made of wood
and leather while innovative materials and the consequent new
possibilities in design and production gradually come to the fore.
This approach is already being exemplified by the use of high-quality
textiles and easily recyclable mono-materials and the elimination of
leather in the interior of the BMW VISION NEXT 100.
MINI VISION NEXT 100: “Every MINI is my MINI”.
Today’s MINI is the perfect premium compact car for the modern city.
Digitalisation and connectivity are increasingly changing the way we
get around on a daily basis – and this change is taking place most
rapidly and noticeably in urban areas. The MINI VISION NEXT 100 is
MINI’s answer to several key questions on urban mobility over the
years ahead. In the cities of the future, will there be space for a
car which engages at an emotional level? What will become of the
“clever use of space” principle that underpins MINI? And how can MINI
respond to a world becoming ever more digitalised and interconnected?
The core philosophy behind the MINI VISION NEXT 100 is the
thoughtful use of the planet’s resources in providing personal
mobility. The motto “Every MINI is my MINI” describes a particular
take on car-sharing. In the future, fans of the brand will be able to
call on a MINI tailored to their personal requirements where ever they
are, day or night. The MINI of the future will be available 24/7, able
to pick its driver up from their desired location in a fully automated
way and will adapt itself to the driver’s individual tastes, interests
and preferences. At the heart of this concept is fully connected
digital intelligence.
Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design,
describes MINI’s vision for the future: “MINI looks to offer smart and
bespoke mobility in cities that engages all the senses. And in the
future, you might not actually have to own a vehicle to enjoy the benefits.”
Clever approaches to future mobility with MINI:
- “Digitally Mine” – where every MINI becomes my MINI
- The “Cooperizer”: a link between the driver and digital intelligence
- “Urban go-kart”: small, clever, nimble. The hallmark driving fun
of a MINI will remain intact in the years ahead - Novel use of sustainable materials in the interior
- Experience sharing – users become part of a MINI community
“Digitally mine” – where every MINI becomes my MINI.
In the future, as now, people will be attracted in great numbers to
MINI cars and the attitude to life associated with them. But it may
not actually be necessary to own a MINI to be part of the action. The
design team’s challenge: how could a MINI be widely and instantly
adaptable – making the driver feel it is their car, tailored precisely
to their own taste – available whenever and wherever they need it?
The MINI VISION NEXT 100 is wrapped in a discreet, silver skin.
The MINI designers refer to it as a “blank canvas”. How that canvas is
used varies according to the individual user, their mood and the
situations they encounter. Even the colour of the roof and the
lighting mood in the interior respond in kind. The MINI uses
projections adapted to the driver in terms of colour, graphics and
content to create a personalised experience and customised package of
on-board information.
The Cooperizer forms a connection between the driver and
digital intelligence.
The Cooperizer is the name the MINI VISION NEXT 100 gives to the
centrally-positioned circular instrument that has become such a
signature feature of MINI cockpits. In the MINI VISION NEXT 100 it
illuminates like a kaleidoscope. The colours and patterns it generates
symbolise the car’s multi-faceted digital intelligence, which allows
it to select a personalised setting for each driver, encompassing
entertainment, communications and autonomous-driving options. On the
move, the driver can influence the Cooperizer’s decision-making, as
the rotary controls allow adjustments to the interior ambience and
driving mode. So the car can be adapted to give a perfectly
personalised driving experience, whether driven conventionally or
autonomously. Pressing the “Inspire Me” button brings another special
Cooperizer trick into play. Here, the MINI checks downloaded user data
to select information of interest to the driver and provide them with
potential sources of inspiration. For example, the MINI VISION NEXT
100 might suggest the MINI set-up configured for an artist the driver
admires and whose exhibition they have recently visited. Or it could
recommend a challenging, twisting route to the outskirts of town and
switch to John Cooper Works performance mode.
The urban go-kart – small, clever, nimble. MINI will continue
to offer the driving fun we know and love in the future.
In the future, driving in a MINI must still be fun, to the extent
that drivers will prefer to drive themselves – as often as possible.
The mechanical experience of speed and the feeling of nipping swiftly
through twists and turns are part of what makes a MINI a MINI. But it
doesn’t stop there. In a future world of self-driving cars, this side
of motoring may have an even more significant, even more special role.
Various aspects of the MINI VISION NEXT 100 will take the go-kart
feeling to another new level. Cleared of many controls and screens,
the interior has a pure, uncluttered look. And the glass front end
opens up a dynamic view of the road. Here, augmented reality displays
show the route or ideal driving line, heightening the driving sensation.
In addition to these dynamic elements, dreaming up clever
details and creating maximum interior space within the smallest
possible footprint are other MINI essentials. The
efficiently-packaged, zero-emission drive system and the reduced need
for crash zones in the future enable a compactness of body not so far
removed from the first MINI back in 1959. The generous feeling of
cabin space is enhanced by a full-width bench seat and pedals that
slide with the steering wheel to adjust their position. The steering
wheel is always there, but the option remains, to ask the car to drive
itself; perhaps there are things you’d rather do during a journey when
the driving environment is tedious.
Autonomous driving plays an important role in the MINI VISION
NEXT 100, allowing it to travel occupant-free to a charging station,
cleaning service, parking space or the next user. To switch from
driving themselves to autonomous driving, the driver simply moves the
steering wheel into the central area between themselves and the front
passenger. In the process, those on board enjoy greater freedom of
movement and getting in and out of the car in busy city centres is
that much easier. The single-section bench seat and a full-width
footwell, uninterrupted by a centre console, also help this, allowing
passengers to gain rapid access from both sides of the car – without
having to decide in advance where they would prefer to sit. When
dynamic driving is the order of the day, active elements within the
seat provide lateral support for the driver and front passenger. Park
the car in a tight spot, and the doors automatically open as wide as
possible within the restricted confines.
Innovative use of sustainable materials.
Making responsible use of resources is key in the selection of
materials for the MINI VISION NEXT 100. These materials should retain
their high level of perceived quality over many years, age stylishly
and offer a special tactile experience. As digitisation increases,
analogue qualities and experiences will become more important. With
the more intensive use of a shared car, interiors will need to be much
more hard wearing. In addition to the modern materials made from
recycled plastic and aluminium in the floor area, roof lining and side
panel trim, for example, the MINI interior designers used materials
less commonly found in car cabins, such as brass, basalt and
cellulose. The wraparound carrier and information strip, with its
mount for the sliding steering wheel, and the Cooperizer with its thin
brass structure are good examples here.
The designers made the storage net behind the steering wheel
from lightweight basalt, while the lower section of the seat is
trimmed in a recycled cellulose material similar to paper. This novel
use of materials included deliberately allowing a patina to develop
through use and ensuring they retain along-lasting and sophisticated
appearance. When it comes to the natural look and feel of surfaces,
the designers have embraced the irregularities inherent in the chosen
materials and processing methods. That also applies to the seat covers
in knitted Alcantara – a robust, somewhat iridescent material. The
designers have steered clear of traditional interior materials like
wood and leather altogether. Another example of analogue design in the
MINI Vision Vehicle can be found in the wheels, whose rotation
generates an “Ombro Cinema” effect: This involves the outer surface of
the wheel not moving and only a disc behind it turning with the tyre.
The even movement of a shimmering graphic – again brass-coloured – can
be observed through openings in the outside of the wheel. The idea is
for each wheel to look like a piece of a mechanical jewellery.
Experience sharing – the user becomes part of a MINI community.
Sharing cars, homes and goods is ever-more common, as digitalisation,
connectivity and artificial intelligence make processes simpler and
more automated. The MINI VISION NEXT 100 can bring together a
community of likeminded people, with a shared MINI lifestyle in
common. Everybody benefits from everybody. And mobility opens up
inspirational experiences yet stands by its sustainable approach and
prudent use of resources.
For example, a MINI user in the future is interested in a
certain type of art and a friend gets hold of some last-minute tickets
to a preview for an exhibition they might like. The Vision Vehicle
identifies what’s involved, and coordinates and organises the whole
excursion. The drive itself becomes part of a perfectly arranged
service. MINI calls this vision of the future experience sharing.
Head of MINI Design Anders Warming sums up the most important
aspects of the car: “The MINI VISION NEXT 100 shows how MINI’s unique
take on the world could look in the future. The driving experience
remains the emotional centrepiece, with effortless and seamless
services grouped around it.”
Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100.
Rolls-Royce epitomises automotive luxury in a way that no other brand
can. Founded in 1904, its products rose to pre-eminence around the
world in a matter of years – in keeping with Sir Henry Royce’s motto:
“Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists
and make it better. When it doesn’t exist, design it.”
Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design: “In celebration
of this pioneering spirit, the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 has been
designed as the ultimate expression of the future of super-luxury
mobility. It is an enlightening vision of the fascinating
possibilities of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in the future.”
The Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 is the first purely visionary
vehicle in the 112-year history of the marque.
In creating it, the team focused on the following questions:
- What is the future of luxury?
- How might the exclusive character of a Rolls-Royce translate into
the future? - How will the demands of the Rolls-Royce clientele change? And how
might Rolls-Royce even exceed their expectations in its constant
quest for perfection? - Could other traditional Rolls-Royce characteristics – such as
precise craftsmanship, a pioneering spirit and a love for perfection
– combined with future technologies and trends set new standards for
luxury in decades to come? - How can we ensure a journey in a Rolls-Royce remains as unique an
experience in the future as it is today?
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars already realises the most diverse customer
wishes and offers virtually unlimited scope for personalising its
vehicles. Over the years and decades ahead, however, the opportunities
will become even more extensive, and customers will be able to
commission their personal Rolls-Royce into a genuine one-off piece. In
terms of technology, the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 is based on an
advanced lightweight platform equipped with a high-performance
electric drive. From the wheelbase to the design of the body, its
various specifications and equipment can be tailored specifically to
suit the needs of the individual customer.
The Rolls-Royce design team expects that further progress in
composite materials and technologies will have a decisive influence on
how production can be customised in the future. Advances will also
unlock new creative possibilities for the brand to meet the discerning
wishes of its customers and achieve its goal of producing the bespoke
automotive equivalent of haute couture.
The Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 incorporates just some of the
design options that will be possible in the future.
It focuses on the following key aspects of a new dimension of
automotive luxury:
- The “Personal Vision”: One of a limitless number of possible
personal visions of a Rolls-Royce of the future - The “Grand Sanctuary”: The vehicle interior as a private retreat
- The “Effortless Journey”: Guided by “Eleanor”, the passenger’s
virtual assistant. - The “Grand Arrival”: Stepping out at your destination in ultimate elegance.
The Personal Vision: One of a limitless number of possible
personal visions of a Rolls-Royce of the future.
The Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 is but one of a limitless number of
possible personal visions of a Rolls-Royce of the future. Indeed, in
an evolution of the Rolls-Royce experience of today, the customer’s
taste will shape exactly how his or her Rolls-Royce will look and how
it will be configured.
In the spirit of the great coachbuilt cars of the past,
Rolls-Royce will create the chassis of the future, hand-built from the
most advanced materials and powered by a zero emissions powertrain.
Innovative manufacturing technologies will enable customers to involve
themselves in the style and proportion of their personal Rolls-Royce
vision. They will be able to commission their very own cars shaped by
Rolls-Royce designers to their personal tastes – unique bespoke
masterpieces curated as a fingerprint of their owner.
The Grand Sanctuary – The vehicle interior as a private retreat.
In a Rolls-Royce, the well-being and desires of the occupants are
all-important. For this reason, the design of the interior is the
central starting point: it is intended as a space in which passengers
can enjoy their very own style of luxury. The vehicle interior becomes
a personal retreat.
In creating the interior, the designers opted for a clear-cut
hierarchy of lines, as well as sustainable, authentic materials and
subtle lighting. These combine to create a peaceful oasis, the ideal
atmosphere in which to relax.
With this approach, the designers were able to create an
inviting, purist space in which the intrinsic beauty of the materials
shines through. The Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100, for instance,
incorporates warm tone Macassar wood, a carpet of hand-twisted silk on
the floor and further extraordinarily soft silk on the upholstery.
In the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 a panorama window of generous
proportions provides outstanding visibility. Designed to “waft” along
fully autonomously, the driver’s seat, steering wheel and instruments
are superfluous in this model; what remains is a completely new sense
of space. Cocooned in their own private haven, passengers have just a
central analogue timepiece below the panorama window as a reminder
that time not lost is the highest form of luxury.
The Effortless Journey: Guided by Eleanor, the passenger’s
virtual assistant.
In creating the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100, the designers also
sought to keep the presence of technologies as subdued as possible
while at the same time ensuring full connectivity. The vehicle is
controlled by a virtual intelligence which fulfils the passenger’s
every need. This virtual assistant is embodied in a digital
representation of the Spirit of Ecstasy, which appears on the
full-width transparent OLED display. It is named after Eleanor
Thornton, the model who inspired sculptor Charles Robert Sykes’ iconic
Rolls-Royce bonnet ornament. The more time Eleanor spends on the road
with a passenger, the more she learns about their interests and needs
– their favourite restaurants, tastes in art and favourite routes, for
instance – and about the preferences and desires of all the other
vehicle occupants as well, of course. Using speech interaction, the
passengers can call upon her services to tailor their journey as desired.
The Grand Arrival – Stepping out at your destination in
ultimate elegance.
From the outside, the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 is a vision of
timeless aesthetics. Measuring 5.9 m in length, its silhouette
radiates powerful elegance. At the same time, its coupé-style forms
and the free-standing wheel arches on either side of the Pantheon
radiator grille lend dynamism and lightness to its outward appearance.
The elegance and lightness of the body is further underscored by
the paintwork “Crystal Water” and the Spirit of Ecstasy, made from
hand-cut lead crystal and illuminated from inside.
Thanks to its impressive exterior design, the Rolls-Royce VISION
NEXT 100 will attract attention wherever it arrives. Its charismatic
presence is further enhanced by the way the passengers alight: in a
generous gesture, the roof and coach door open to reveal the interior
of the vehicle. Passengers simply stand up and gracefully step out.
The spectacle is additionally underscored by light projections, which
create a “red carpet” showing the way out and turn every arrival into
a Grand Arrival.
Should the need arise, two umbrellas integrated into the doors
are available to protect passengers from the elements. Rolls-Royce
bespoke luggage can be stowed in the front of the Rolls-Royce VISION
NEXT 100, where there is ample storage space. An intelligent mechanism
opens a hatch in the side of the car and presents the luggage to the
waiting hands of the porter.
Giles Taylor, Design Director Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: “With the
Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 we were very mindful not to dwell on the
past. We wanted to be as innovative as possible and at the same time
transcend the design history of the marque.”
Media contact:
BMW Group Centenary Year
Nikolai.Glies@bmwgroup.de
Christine.Graeber@bmw.de
Agnes.Weiss-Tar@bmw.de
BMW VISION NEXT 100
MINI VISION NEXT 100
Cypselus.von-Frankenberg@bmw.de
Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100
Andrew.Boyle@rolls-roycemotorcars.com
Andrew.Ball@rolls-roycemotorcars.com